EmuDeck Enters the Mini PC Market With Linux-Powered 'EmuDeck Machines'

An anonymous reader quotes a report from overkill.wtf: The team behind popular emulation tool EmuDeck is today announcing something rather special: they've spent the first half of 2024 working on their very first hardware product, called the EmuDeck Machine, and it's due to arrive before the year is out. This EmuDeck Machine is an upcoming, crowdfunded, retro emulation mini PC running Bazzite, a Linux-based system similar to SteamOS. [...] This new EmuDeck Machine comes in two variants, the EM1 running an Intel N97 APU, and the EM2 -- based on an AMD Ryzen 8600G. While both machines are meant as emulation-first devices, the AMD-based variant can easily function as a console-like PC. This is also thanks to some custom work done by the team: "We've optimized the system for maximum power. The default configuration of an 8600G gets you 32 FPS in Cyberpunk; we've managed to reach 47 FPS with a completely stable system, or 60FPS if you use FSR."

Both machines will ship with a Gamesir Nova Lite controller and EmuDeck preinstalled naturally. The team has also preinstalled all available Decky plugins. But that's not all: if the campaign is successful, the EmuDeck team will also work on a docking station for the EM2 that will upgrade the graphics to an AMD Radeon 7600 desktop GPU. With this, in games like Cyberpunk 2077, you'll be able to reach 160 FPS in 1080p as per EmuDeck's measurements. You can preorder the EmuDeck Machines via Indigogo, starting at $322 and shipping in December.

OK for game, but

[denisbergeron]

If the price is right, can be a nice little server like a NAS or anything else with it's 4 usb-c !

Re:

[CAIMLAS]

Those are clearly USB-A ports, not USB-C. It's a fairly large box, not comparable to a NUC.

Re:

[TheJish]

According to the Indiegogo page [indiegogo.com], the EM2 has 1 USB-C port on the back.

Re:

[Mspangler]

As long as it's USB 3 it doesn't matter the plug doesn't matter.

IBM

[bill_mcgonigle]

I hope they have a backup plan for not using IBM Beta Linux if those conditions keep changing on trajectory.

Here's to their great success!

160 FPS sounds unreasonable.

[Monster_user]

As I understand it, Cyberpunk still has areas in the game, particularly when driving, where the game struggles to maintain 60 FPS. Games have lots of issues with CPU performance these days, so I'm more interested in how low the FPS drops on the AMD Ryzen 8600G CPU during bottlenecks. Once you reach 90 FPS, I lose interest in FPS. If you start dropping below 60, then I become interested again.

Over 90 FPS on a GPU is a measurement of longevity, not performance.

Can this system maintain a flat 60 FPS at 10

Re:

[zephvark]

1080p sounds unreasonable. What do you need 160 fps for if your resolution turns everything into Minecraft blocks?

That's handsome performance.

[drinkypoo]

But that's really too much money for the AMD unit, and not enough performance in the Intel model. Also, I think the case looks nice, but I'd rather have something more stackable.

I'm also not thrilled about it coming with Fedora. Haven't we learned yet that this is a bad idea?

EmuDeck?

[Anonymous Coward]

What next, KoalaBox?

Stop trademarking our fauna.

Why aren't they using Windows 11?

[ebunga]

I mean, I think we all know.